Take Me Out
by Arktosphonos
Summary: Prompt: pricefield first date


Cartons of half-eaten Chinese takeout laid strewn about on the living room floor, carefully placed so as neither girl accidentally knocked their fare over. Max was used to eating over at Chloe's place by now, she usually joined Chloe ( and sometimes Joyce ) for dinner at least four times a week, but when she showed up, she was surprised to learn Chloe had driven to the next town over in order to pick up several bags of Panda Express.

Max had eagerly agreed to help her blue haired friend move furniture in payment for Chloe's generous nature. Only after the couch was pressed up against the sliding glass doors did the two girls lay out in front of the TV, flipping through channels as they ate their food.

"So, what do you want to watch, Max?" Chloe asked between bites.

Max didn't even bat an eye at her best friend's terrible manners. She was used to Chloe's abhorrent behavior and tendency to show her food with manic glee. She opened her mouth to respond, only to have her words quickly smothered by Chloe's hand.

"Don't even go with the 'whatever you want' bullshit," Chloe huffed, slowly removing her hand once she was sure Max wouldn't rebut her. "You're the guest, so you have to decide."

The brunette rolled her eyes before taking another bite of her fried rice. As she was chewing, she thought about what the two could watch. Chloe was a major science geek, and while that wasn't Max's forte, she could get behind a cool sci-fi movie at times.

"Give me some of your spring rolls and I'll go get a movie for us," Max said, promptly opening her mouth for Chloe to feed her.

The older girl smirked before sitting up, reaching for one of the containers before humming in disapproval and setting it back down. She did that with several before finally grabbing the one with the spring rolls.

"I'm waiting," Max grumbled, jaw starting to go sore from holding her mouth open so long. As soon as she finished her complaint, food was shoved into her mouth, causing her to choke a little at the force.

Chloe, obviously worried and upset at causing her best friend to splutter and cough on her food, just laughed, reaching out to clap Max hard on the back a few times to help ease the passage of food down Max's throat. This, of course, only made the brunette's peril worse.

"Jesus, Chloe," Max coughed, voice hoarse from her small spiel of choking. She swatted away the older girl's hand, back now aching from being hit repeatedly. Sure, the gesture was appreciated, but Chloe was sometimes too rough with her approach with helping others. "Could you hit me any harder?"

Shoving another bite of orange chicken into her mouth, Chloe just snorted in response.

Rolling her eyes once again, Max stood up on shaky legs. She'd been lying still for too long, and she was sure her thighs had gone numb. "Don't eat my food. I'll be back."

"Yeah, yeah," Chloe mocked, taking her chopsticks and promptly shoving them into Max's container of fried rice.

A smile tugged at her lips, and it was with a slight shake of her head that Max proceeded to go to Chloe's room, tiptoeing once she reached the top step in order to keep from disturbing Joyce. She and Chloe had done well in keeping their volume down, and even though Joyce's bedroom door was shut, Max was still careful in keeping her feet light.

Only after the door shut with a soft click did she sigh in relief, rocking on her heels for a moment as she looked about.

Chloe always seemed to redecorate each time she came over, moving everything around so she had no idea where anything was once she stepped into the room. Chewing on her lip, Max began searching for movies in the corner by Chloe's TV. Dusty boxes were full of DVDs and pictures, and the urge to snoop hit Max hard. But what did Chloe have that she hadn't seen already?

Only after pushing past the desire to look through the cases and pictures did Max actually start to sift through the items inside, muttering the titles of the movies under her breath as she tried to find the right one.

She finally settled on Blade Runner ( Chloe's ultimate fave movie ) and picked out three other random movies before setting everything back in its right place. Sucking in her breath, Max once again tiptoed downstairs, alert to every little noise she made, until she made it back into the living room with Chloe, who was busy scarfing down the rest of Max's fried rice.

"Here," Max said, shoving the movies into Chloe's hands and prying the cardboard box from her fingers. "I got four in total, but I doubt we'll even get through one before you fall asleep."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Max," Chloe said around her food. Wiping off her hands she stood up and popped Blade Runner into the DVD player before settling down besides Max once again. "I can totally sit through a movie without crashing on you."

The opening credits quickly rolled on screen and absorbed their attention in a matter of seconds. Within moments, all thought of conversation was set aside for food and the movie that played before them.

About halfway through the movie, all the food had been devoured, leaving the two young adults full and sleepy, content to cuddle together while washed in the glow from the TV screen. Chloe was sprawled out across the floor, Max curled against her side, head nestled on her stomach, rising and falling with Chloe's steady breathing.

"Hey, Chloe?" Max asked, rising up on her elbows to better look at the blue haired punk.

"Yeah?" Chloe responded, sitting up after Max lifted her head. The movie was forgotten now, all of her focus was now on the pair of blue eyes before her.

Max's heart skipped a beat at just how perfect Chloe looked in that moment. The soft lights that played against pale skin made Chloe look almost ethereal, the gentle smile that played against the punk's lips was shy, almost nervous, and Max wished she had her camera on her in this moment.

"Yo, Max," Chloe called out to her friend, reaching out to lightly pat the other girl's cheek. Worry was evident on the older girl's face. "You alright?"

"I love you," Max blurted out.

Canting her head to the side, Chloe furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I love you too, Max," Chloe replied, now on full alert. "Are you okay, man?"

"No," Max said, heat rising to her face as she was engulfed in Chloe's arms. She was trembling, wondering if she should explain herself. Would Chloe be mad? Disgusted to know her best friend was harboring romantic feelings for her?

Sucking in a shaky breath, Max nuzzled against Chloe's neck, reveling in the soft hands that stroked her hair. It was no or never, so she put on her big girl pants and jumped headfirst into the unknown.

"No, Che," Max whispered against the warm skin of Chloe's throat. "I mean, I think I'm in love with you."

She didn't miss Chloe's sharp intake of breath, or the way her fingers stopped stroking her hair, and it made Max's stomach plummet to the bottom of her belly, and she clenched her fingers tightly into Chloe's shirt. She didn't want to let go, didn't want to be pushed away. Not yet.

"Wow, this would be a really awkward date if you didn't like me," Chloe laughed, voice tight, strained almost as she held Max.

Max was taken aback by that, rearing back in Chloe's grip, tears just starting to spill onto her face.

"This was a date?" The brunette asked.

"What have you think I've been trying to do lately?" Chloe asked, huffing in disapproval. Reaching up, she brushed away the tears that had begun to trail down Max's cheeks. Only after she was satisfied Max wouldn't cry anymore did she continue. "Dinner? Movies? Aren't those date things?"

Max's eyes shifted about, going from Chloe to the floor as she thought. Chloe didn't seem any different, really, not to her. But maybe, that's what it was when you dated you best friend. Nothing really changed, well, other than kissing and…. other stuff.

"Next time tell me if we're having a date," Max mumbled, burying her face once more into Chloe's neck.

She just sat like that for a while, listening to the soft rumble of Chloe's laugh as she clutched her…. girlfriend? Was that what they were now?

"I love you too, Max," Chloe whispered against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine and kicking the brunette's heart into overdrive.

Max smiled, gleeful as she felt Chloe's lips brush against the shell of her ear.

"Would it be rude to ask for a kiss on the first date?" Chloe asked, voice low and husky.

They were still Chloe and Max in the end. Just with a lot more kisses now.


End file.
